Or at least, that's their attitude.
When Bruce Hutton, a former senior police inspector died, he was eulogised by the Deputy Police Commissioner as having "integrity beyond reproach". This is despite the fact that he planted evidence that sent an innocent man to jail for murder and may even have been the actual murderer.
For a senior police officer to describe him as having any integrity at all is simply laughable. If the New Zealand police insist on refusing to even consider that they make mistakes, they will lose all credibility.
Showing posts with label police. Show all posts
Showing posts with label police. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Sunday, April 7, 2013
David Bain Case
In yet another example of irresponsibility and misconduct in the seemingly never-ending David Bain saga, it has been revealed that the former judge hired to second-guess an independent report into the case used it to funnel money to a woman he was in a relationship with. This case has really shown how rotten the New Zealand justice system can be.
Meanwhile, the Dunedin police still have not taken any responsibility for their enormous screw-ups. Let me make this very clear: either the Dunedin police screwed up and put an innocent man in prison for 13 years, or the Dunedin police screwed up and let a multiple murderer walk free. Either way, they screwed up and refuse to admit it.
How can we have confidence in the justice system when stuff like this is going on?
Meanwhile, the Dunedin police still have not taken any responsibility for their enormous screw-ups. Let me make this very clear: either the Dunedin police screwed up and put an innocent man in prison for 13 years, or the Dunedin police screwed up and let a multiple murderer walk free. Either way, they screwed up and refuse to admit it.
How can we have confidence in the justice system when stuff like this is going on?
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Cowboy cops and their adventures in misconduct
This article in the Otago Daily Times provides further evidence about the fiasco that was the Megaupload raid. It describes how the police anti-terrorist squad was turned out to raid a family home despite a complete absence of evidence; how evidence from a member of the diplomatic protection service (the arm of the police that protects the prime minister) was suppressed to justify an airborne assault; and how police didn't follow their own procedures in planning the raid.
This is just more evidence of the cowboy mentality the New Zealand Police have. What I think happened was:
1) FBI asks NZ police for hlep
2) Managers in the NZ police get excited at the possibility of working with the FBI
3) NZ police decide that since they are finally playing with the big kids, they'd better show off as much as they can
4) Turn out the anti-terrorist squad to show how tough they are and that they are too big kids now!
5) Do whatever the FBI tells them to do, NZ laws and procedures be damned
Seriously, there are several top NZ cops who should be on the dole queue now: they've shown that they can't be trusted to follow the law or even their own rules. Get rid of them. They're a danger to themselves and the New Zealand public.
This is just more evidence of the cowboy mentality the New Zealand Police have. What I think happened was:
1) FBI asks NZ police for hlep
2) Managers in the NZ police get excited at the possibility of working with the FBI
3) NZ police decide that since they are finally playing with the big kids, they'd better show off as much as they can
4) Turn out the anti-terrorist squad to show how tough they are and that they are too big kids now!
5) Do whatever the FBI tells them to do, NZ laws and procedures be damned
Seriously, there are several top NZ cops who should be on the dole queue now: they've shown that they can't be trusted to follow the law or even their own rules. Get rid of them. They're a danger to themselves and the New Zealand public.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Children in drugs houses
Another article where police decry children living in a house where drugs are present. In this case, the drugs were cannabis plants.
But the thing is, the vast majority of children in New Zealand live in a house with drugs present: alchohol and tobacco. But despite the fact that alcohol and tobacco are much more harmful to users and society than cannabis, the police say nothing about it.
We need a national drugs policy that is evidence-based, that is based on reality rather than ideology. So many lives have been destroyed by the prohibition of a plant that is, on the balance of evidence, fairly benign, that we simply cannot continue as we have been. Something must be done, the drug laws must change.
But the thing is, the vast majority of children in New Zealand live in a house with drugs present: alchohol and tobacco. But despite the fact that alcohol and tobacco are much more harmful to users and society than cannabis, the police say nothing about it.
We need a national drugs policy that is evidence-based, that is based on reality rather than ideology. So many lives have been destroyed by the prohibition of a plant that is, on the balance of evidence, fairly benign, that we simply cannot continue as we have been. Something must be done, the drug laws must change.
Sunday, July 22, 2012
Police screw up, refuse to accept blame
A brief post about this story: the police obtained a warrant to search the computers of someone suspected of downloading kiddie porn; they waited too long to execute it, so even though they found illegal material, the guy has walked free because the search was illegal. Police refuse to accept that they were responsible for the stuff-up.
This is yet another warrant stuff-up on the part of the police, and yet again they are denying responsibility. If we are going to grant the police the power to destroy peoples' lives then we have the right to expect them to perform with the highest levels of competence. Otherwise, they are a threat to our liberty, rather than the guardians of it.
On another matter, I remember seeing Greg O'Conner on TV as the police association spokesman when I was in high school, and I'm closing in on 40 now: isn't it time for someone else to have a go at that job? Someone who has a bit more credibility than he does?
This is yet another warrant stuff-up on the part of the police, and yet again they are denying responsibility. If we are going to grant the police the power to destroy peoples' lives then we have the right to expect them to perform with the highest levels of competence. Otherwise, they are a threat to our liberty, rather than the guardians of it.
On another matter, I remember seeing Greg O'Conner on TV as the police association spokesman when I was in high school, and I'm closing in on 40 now: isn't it time for someone else to have a go at that job? Someone who has a bit more credibility than he does?
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